Date: 15 February
Year: 2XXX
Location: The Great City of Neurton
"Sir, are you sure now's the time for another Great Forge?"
A nervous secretary quickly looked down as her boss turned away from the large corporate window he was looking through. An older man in his 60s, yet still miraculously active for his age, chuckled as he faced his secretary. His hands held behind his back, he slowly returned to his desk.
"Alice, look down there. At the bustling streets. At the corporate offices. At the workers who are running late or just getting off work. At the children running to and fro. At the constant honking of cars," The man spoke in a deep, rich voice.
"S-sir, we are on the 80th floor. I can't see that far down," She reluctantly said.
"But if you could, what would you see?"
"Everyday life.. I guess..."
"Is that all? I see potential. A concerning amount, all being wasted on what you call everyday life. Every single citizen in this city are descendants of the Ancient Smiths, the founders of our great city. Yet, the very basis that this city was founded on has been reduced to nothing more than a hobby for most. The few that did pursue our founding fathers' craft monopolize what was once a free market. It's jarring."
"Yes, I understand that, sir, but how would another Great Forge change any of that?"
The old man gave a deep sigh, shaking his head as a father would if he were disappointed in his child. He spoke, this time with a hint of annoyance in his voice.
"Alice, the Great Forge WILL change everything. Anyone can participate. The only requirement is for one family to forge the most magnificent weapon out of every family in the city. And a forge is a common household appliance, yes?"
"It is, sir, but if the average person doesn't use a forge in the first place, then why would they now just because of a contest?" Alice was still concerned about the city's participation and the quality of the weapons in the contest.
"Alice, Alice, Alice," The old man arose from his seat and proceeded to head towards the door to his office. "It's a curious thing how motivating a simple reward can be. Come now."
"Y-yes, Mr. Whet!"
The silenced office was left with nothing but the sound of echoing heels hitting the floor, fading into the distance. Mr. Whet had begun to set his new scheme into motion. One that wouldn't begin to surface until months later. A city-wide contest that would catch the eye of everyone, even those who are outside of the city.
...
Date: 5 June
Location: The Outskirts of Neutron City: The Scraps
Year: 2XXX
"Of all of your plans, sir, this must be one of the most.. Alarming ones," The butler and driver said to his employer.
"I don't want to hear it, Copperhead," A young man in the back seat said while scrolling on his phone. "I won't let the Radant family be cast into the shadows because of this foolish Great Forge. Therefore, I must get the best of the best."
"But a criminal, sir?"
"Criminal, sure. But also misunderstood. If I can get him to join my side, I'm sure I'll have the upper hand in this competition!"
"I feel like someone, somewhere, tried this ploy once before..." Copperhead mumbled under his breath.
It wasn't long before the car pulled into the parking lot of a rundown prison. It wasn't abandoned, but the government did not fund it to the same scale as prisons inside the city.
The reason?
That's because the prisoners that were sent here don't stay for very long.
Radant and his butler got out of the car and went to the front gates. The front doors led to a waiting area with a receptionist waiting behind a desk and a bulletproof window. Through a speaker, she greeted her new guests.
"Name?"
"Radant."
"Radant, huh? The lunatic who paid bail for one of the city's most wanted criminals!?"
The receptionist started laughing, showing a lack of respect for Radant. It took a long minute before she could bring herself to even return to work, but she couldn't do it without poking at Radant.
"The guys and I were talking about how far you've fallen from grace, Mr. Radant. First, you refuse to use a forge despite being from one of the Five Flames, and now you're planning to hire a convict! Not only was he arrested for illegal forging, but he also has no ties to this city at all! He's an outsider to a T!"
The receptionist continued laughing. Radant looked at his butler, who returned with a sigh. Copperhead gave him a look as if to say, "I told you, sir." Radant sighed and returned his attention to the woman in front of him.
"Have you no shame? You are still on the clock, providing a public service. Now take me to him, if you will."
"Oh yes, oh Graceless One," She mocked as she reached for a comm. "He's here. Open the door and take him to the Hangs."
On the other end of the comms, laughter could be heard, but at least the door opened. A man wearing heavy armor walked through and motioned for Radant and Copperhead to follow him. The officer was wearing a mask and helmet, but the duo could hear him holding back his laughter at the strange predicament.
Then again, who could blame them? The Radant family, once at the top of the Five Flames, was now considered the least due to an accident that happened a few years prior. The news of Radant refusing to use any forge afterwards caused a national uproar. The families in the Five Flames were thought to be blessed by the original smiths who founded Neutron City, allowing each family to have a specialized skill in regards to their crafts. If Radant continued to boycott the forge, then his family's skill would die out, removing them from the Five Flames.
Or so everyone believed.
After a few minutes of walking and the officer getting clearance to lead the two gentlemen to their person, they entered a barren courtyard. One covered with stakes, bodily remains, and whatever debris was left from the conflicts once held there. The air was heavy with iron and soot, and at the center of it all was the man Radant was looking for.
Hanging from his hands, which were tied behind his back, a single man, suspended in the air, slowly spun in circles. He was about ten feet from the ground, but he didn't look worried in the slightest.
Instead, the man in his 30s seemed almost excited. He had long hair and a beard, wore clothing comparable to rags, and smelled just as he looked, but his expression was unmistakable. His golden eyes looked up when he heard Radant's approaching footsteps.
"Well, if it isn't my hero... or executioner," He chuckled more to himself than anything.
"That depends on whether you can be of service to me, X."
Radant raised his hand, waiting for a file that Copperhead received from his jacket and handed to him. Radant opened the file and skimmed through it for the hundredth time.
"Arrested for breaking and entering and then illegally using one of the Five Flames' forges. Not only that, but you also tried to forge one of the Ancient Secrets, though that part is not on the record for obvious reasons."
"Oh, really? I was hoping it was!" X laughed.
"If it was, you'd be dead already," Radant sighed, handing the file back to Copperhead. "However, I must ask. Did you really create an Element Factor?"
The air immediately shifted. X's smile dropped as he met Radant's gaze. No words needed to be exchanged between them, but just for the record, Radant wanted to hear the words come out of the man's mouth.
"If you knew what I wanted to make, then you must have much bigger plans than just trying to win this lil contest, huh?" X spoke.
Radant smirked as he pointed to a tower that broke the horizon of Neutron City. Even from where they were, the tower could not only be clearly seen, but the top of it scraped the clouds above. Without breaking eye contact, Radant spoke.
"I want to take the Radant family higher than any other family in the Five Flames ever could hope to achieve. So high that we'll pierce the heavens!"
"We?" X tilted his head.
"Did I stutter?" Radant nodded. "Unfortunately, I am between a rock and a hard place. However, I'm not too proud to give up any opportunities that present themselves, such as this one. Now tell me, did you attempt to make an Element Factor?"
There was a moment of silence that followed the question, as if X was questioning whether he should tell the truth or not. Copperhead stepped forward.
"Sir, is it really a good idea to recruit him?"
"Trust me, Copperhead."
"Radant," X called in a much more serious tone. "Heritage is everything in this city, yes? I have no ties to anyone or any ancestors, so why risk everything to recruit me?"
It was at that moment that Radant smiled. This question was the exact one he wanted X to ask, and of course, he had the perfect answer for it.
"Do you think my ancestors had any ties when they founded this city? No. All they had were a forge and a hammer, and with the blessing of the Great Flame, they forged everything from the ground up. However, last time I checked, being a great smith requires skill, not blood. And it'll be a bonus if one could get a blessing from the Great Flame in the process. Therefore, answer my question, X."
Radant's answer seemed to have satisfied X because his wild smile returned. His golden eyes seemed to have lit up even brighter than before. He began to swing his legs back and forth, causing him to rise and descend until he propelled himself towards the duo, cutting the rope in the process.
"I see you never needed my help," Radant nodded.
"You're provided plenty," X rubbed his wrists. "And just for the record, I didn't TRY to make anything. I did forge an Element Factor, and not just any, my good sir. I forged a Factor X."
Copperhead immediately stepped forward to say something, but Radant raised his hand to stop him. There was no denying that this made X's crime all the more grave, but it also proved his skill. As if both Radant and X were ignorant of the tense mood, they continued their conversation, leading to X kneeling before Radant.
"However, I doubt you'd want a man without a name to be the face of your new weapon, and every competent smith names their forged tools, yes?"
"Can we really trust you?" Copperhead blurted out.
"Not at all, my old friend," X looked up. "But y'all are already risking your neck for me, so I'll bet on Radant here for now."
"Copperhead, we will be forging history from here on out, for better or worse. Watch and see for yourself whether we burst into flames or create something never before seen. As for your name, X."
X lowered his head again. Copperhead sighed as he took a step back. He didn't have any faith in this unlikely team-up, but if there was one thing that he knew, it was that his master very rarely took the most sensible option. He was left with no choice but to watch from the sidelines and provide support where he could.
"Starting now, you will be my brother. I, Flamme Radant, bestow you the name, F.R. Xander Radant. Arise, Xander," He commanded.
"Right."
Xander rose and joined hands with Radant. From there, an unbreakable bond was created between a fallen noble and Neutron City's most wanted criminal. Whether things worked out or not depended on whether they could trust each other. For now, they must focus on the task at hand. Creating a weapon that can compete in the Great Forge.
"Now, let's go make a bloody weapon!"